What He Left Behind
by Col3725
Summary: After an explosive few months, things were just starting to calm down for Booth and Brennan. That was until a late night phone call throws them another curveball. *post Season 12 finale*
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello, it has been a while since I have written/posted anything, but I am back with a new story :) This idea has been floating around in my head for months and I finally decided to post it. Originally, this story was going to take place in Season 3, but has since been reworked to come after Season 12._**

 ** _Happy reading..._**

* * *

Brennan stood at the kitchen sink, washing the dishes from dinner and listening to Hank's little giggles as Christine tickled him, the two children lying on the rug in the living room. She smiled, the toddler's giggles turning into shrieks. With the plates dry and put away, she walked the short distance to the couch and stood there, unseen, watching the two siblings playing.

Hank was squirming under Christine's wiggling fingers, but the second grader was relentless. "Mamaaaaa!" He wailed, finally noticing Brennan's presence. "Wissy, stop, stop!"

Brennan was about to intervene when the phone rang. She headed over to the phone and picked it up, keeping her eyes on Hank and Christine. "Hello?"

" _May I please speak with Temperance Brennan?"_

"This is she." Brennan walked closer to the living room to keep a closer eye on the children.

" _Good evening, Temperance. My name is Lynette Price from Child and Family Services. Is this a good time to talk?"_

Brennan blinked. "One moment, please." She rested the phone against her stomach. "Christine, honey."

The seven-year-old paused and turned her head. "Yes, mommy?"

"Mommy has to take a phone call. Please watch your brother."

Christine nodded. "Okay."

Brennan smiled. "Thank you. I won't be long." She turned and walked through the glass doors that led to the atrium. "Hello, Lynette?"

" _Is this a bad time?"_

Brennan shook her head. "No, I have a few minutes to speak with you. What is this in regards to?"

" _As I mentioned, I am from Child and Family Services. I know you are busy, so I will be brief. I have a little boy here in need of an emergency placement. He's had a rough night. He and his mother were involved in a single-car accident earlier. His injuries are minor, just some scratches and a bruised cheek, but his mother was killed."_

"What about family? The child's father?"

" _The police are still trying to track them down, but it appears there is no father in the picture. The name listed on the boy's birth certificate got them nowhere."_ Lynette paused. _"Eli is being released within the hour. We should have more answers in the morning, but he needs a place to stay tonight."_

Brennan nodded. "I understand." She paused, turning her body so that she could peer into the house. Booth was home from work now, she noticed. He was standing near the front door, Hank in his arms as he lifted the little boy high in the air and back down. Christine was glued to his side, her arms around his legs. He asked the girl a question and Christine pointed in Brennan's direction. She watched as he set Hank down, kissed Christine on the top of her head, and made his way towards the atrium.

" _Temperance? Hello?"_

She blinked, hearing the muffled voice of the woman still on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I apologize. I am still here." She paused. "How old is the child?"

" _He's three, almost four."_

She nodded, hearing the door creak open as Booth stepped into the room.

Booth approached her and raised an eyebrow. "The lab?" he mouthed, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

She shook her head, holding her finger up to quiet him.

" _I realize this is last minute, but that is the nature of these situations."_

"I understand. When and where should I meet you?"

" _A half hour in the E.R. lobby."_

Brennan nodded. "I will see you then. Thank you."

" _No, thank_ _ **you**_ _, Temperance. See you soon. I will have all the paperwork ready for you to sign when you get here."_

Brennan nodded again. "Goodbye." She hung up and sighed, glancing up at Booth, who was staring at her. "I am sorry I didn't discuss this with you first. She needed an answer as soon as possible."

Booth blinked. "Uh, discuss what with me first? Are you going to the lab now? Apologizing for having to spend the night working?"

She shook her head. "No." She grabbed his arm and led him over to the table. She sat down and waited for him to do the same. "Lynette from Child and Family Services just called."

"Did something happen to Russ?" he asked. She had just lost her father a few months ago. To lose Russ too, so soon—.

"No. I mean, I do not think so. I just spoke with him an hour ago. He did not sound distressed." She paused. "There is a little boy in need of an emergency foster home. I have to meet Lynette at the hospital in thirty minutes to pick him up."

"You said yes?"

"He just lost his mother, Booth, and his father—they do not know who he is."

He shook his head. "I was only asking for clarification, Bones. You did the right thing. It's okay. When do we have to pick him up?"

" _I_ have to pick him up at 7:30. _You_ are staying here with Hank and Christine."

"Bones—."

She shook her head. "It's late, Booth." She swallowed. At times like this, they would have called Max to come and watch the children. That was not an option anymore.

He conceded. "What's his name?"

"Eli. He's three."

He nodded. "You want to put Hank to bed before you leave?"

"Yes." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. She smiled at him. "This is not my—our—first run around the track," she winked, knowing exactly what the correct idiom was, "but it will be our first since Hank was born. I am sorry I did not confer with you first before I accepted, but this situation is different from the others. Eli will likely only be with us for the night, a few days at most."

"Don't worry about it, Bones. You think I would have said no?"

"The last five months have been quite stressful and—."

"And nothing, Bones." He kissed her. "I'll make up a bed for Eli in Hank's room. It'll be like a mini sleepover."

She smiled. "I love you."

"And I love you." He wrapped his arms around her and let out a breath. He let go soon after and followed her into the house.

* * *

While Brennan tucked their son into bed, Booth sat down on the couch with Christine, her favorite book in his hands. "Before we read, I need to tell you something, sweetheart."

Christine snuggled into his side and looked up at him. "Am I in trouble? We were just playing, Daddy. I didn't hurt Hank. I was just tickling him. He was laughing and—."

He wrapped his arm around her, placing the book in his lap. "No, no, Monkey. You're not in trouble." He paused. "Do you remember Jace?"

She squinted, shifting a bit on the couch. "Uh-huh. His mommy went to heaven and his daddy was in jail. He didn't have any place to go so he came to live with us. Is he coming back?"

He shook his head. "No, baby. Jace lives with his aunt and uncle now."

"Oh." Christine sighed. "'Cause I liked Jace."

"But Mommy did get another phone call tonight. There is a little boy that needs an emergency home for the night. His name is Eli."

"Is he going to live with us?"

He nodded. "For a little while." He paused. "Mommy's going to pick him up in a few minutes. He was in a car accident tonight with his mommy."

"Is his Mommy in heaven now?"

He nodded. "Yeah, honey, she is. He was hurt too, but he's okay."

"Doesn't he have a Daddy?"

He shrugged. "We're not sure."

Christine hugged him tight. "Everybody should have a Daddy."

He ran his hand up and down her back, holding her against him.

Brennan walked out of Hank's room and made her way down the hall towards the living room. "I am leaving now, Booth."

Christine let go and jumped off the couch at the sound of her mother's voice. "Mommy, are you going to go get Eli now?"

Brennan glanced at Booth and then bent down to catch Christine as she jumped into her arms. Settling the girl on her hip, she nodded and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Yes, I am."

"Okay. Is Daddy going with you?"

Brennan shook her head. "No, Honey. Daddy is staying here with you and Hank. I will be home soon."

"Soon is not precise, Mommy."

Brennan smiled and handed the seven-year-old over to Booth, who had gotten off the couch and come over to them.

"Say goodnight to Mom. You'll probably be in bed before she gets home."

Christine reached over and wrapped her arms around Brennan's neck. "Goodnight, Mommy."

Brennan gave Christine a goodnight kiss. She then slipped into her coat and grabbed her purse. "I should not be too late."

Booth nodded. "See you _soon_." He smirked and kissed her quickly on the lips. When the front door shut behind her, he turned to Christine and poked her in the belly. "Now that Mommy is gone, how about some pie?"

"I heard that, Booth! It is too late for sweets and she has already brushed her teeth," Brennan called from the other side of the door.

He laughed, shaking his head. He walked into the kitchen and set Christine on the counter. He opened the refrigerator and took out the pie platter. "What Mommy doesn't know…" Not even a minute after he had cut two slices and plated them, his cell phone chimed in his pocket. He slid it out and handed it to Christine after he read the text message. "How does she do that?"

"Mommy knows all, Daddy!" She giggled.

"I guess that means no pie."

She sighed. "No pie?" She looked at him, her eyes wide, her lips pouty.

He shrugged. "Okay, maybe one bite." He winked at her and handed her a fork.

* * *

 _Well, there you have it - Chapter 1. Let me know if you want more._

 _Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you! You guys are awesome.**_ _ **Here is Chapter 2; hope you like it.**_

* * *

Brennan pulled into the visitor parking lot of the hospital at approximately 7:27 PM. Lynette had said to meet her in the E.R. lobby, so that was the direction she headed in when she exited her vehicle. She walked through the automatic doors and stepped into the waiting area. She had never met Lynette before and therefore, knew nothing about her physical appearance. Having been a registered foster parent for 11 years and in the system, herself, 25 years ago, though, she had a knack for picking out social workers amongst the general population.

Brennan took a moment to breathe and look around the crowded E.R., before she approached a petite blonde woman sitting alone.

The woman, still in her skirt suit, a briefcase sitting at her feet, peered down at her phone. She turned her head in Brennan's direction and then stood up. "Temperance Brennan?"

Brennan nodded, shaking the woman's offered hand.

"Lynette Price," the woman introduced herself and motioned for Brennan to have a seat. "Thank you again for meeting me here." She smiled and sat down. She reached into her briefcase and presented Brennan with a clipboard and pen.

As Brennan read through the paperwork and signed the appropriate sections, she looked up at Lynette and asked, "Have you heard from Eli's physician?"

Lynette nodded, accepting the finished paperwork and giving it a onceover. "Yes, I have spoken with Dr. Lang. He says Eli's bloodwork and x-rays look good. Eli also underwent a CT scan and that came back clear. Dr. Lang has already signed the discharge papers, so if you are ready, we can head up to the room now."

Brennan nodded. "Yes, that sounds agreeable," she said, following Lynette to the elevators. "Does Eli have any belongings with him?"

Lynette pressed the UP button and stepped back. "He has a backpack with a few changes of clothes, a toothbrush, and a stuffed animal in it. The police think he and his mother were on their way out of town. His car seat is intact, so it's yours to take. It probably saved his life." She paused and they stepped into the waiting elevator cart. "Eli has been made aware of the arrangement and is already dressed in his pajamas. He hasn't spoken much, but he will nod or shake his head in response to questions."

Brennan nodded. "My husband is setting up a bed for him in our son's room," she said, exiting the elevator on the Pediatric Wing. All that stood between her and meeting the little boy was ten feet. She still remembered what it was like to meet that first "family" a quarter of a century ago, so these initial introductions always made her anxious.

"Your son is two and a half?"

"Correct and our daughter is seven." Brennan beamed. "We have already spoken with Christine about the situation and she is excited to meet Eli."

"That's sweet. She must be a good big sister, huh?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes, she loves her little brother very much."

The two women turned the corner and in a few short steps, they arrived at Eli's hospital room. Lynette knocked softly on the door and entered. "Eli, sweetie?" she whispered. "It's Lyn."

Brennan stepped into the room behind Lynette and her eyes went straight to the bed. The bed looked huge compared to the small child lying there and the sheet was pulled so high that only Eli's pale blue eyes, forehead, and dark hair were visible.

Lynette slowly approached the bed and glanced behind her towards Brennan. "This is Dr. Brennan, Eli. She's the woman I was telling you about. She's going to take you home to her house in a little bit."

Brennan watched as Eli's eyes shifted from Lynette to her. She relaxed and smiled. "Hello, Eli."

"Can you say hi to Dr. Brennan?"

Eli shifted and gave a short, weak wave, burying himself farther under the sheets.

Lynette smiled. "Thank you, Eli." She saw the boy yawn and rub at his eyes. She walked over to Brennan and let out a breath. "You're all set, Temperance. I will walk with you to your car and help get Eli settled."

Brennan nodded. "Yes, of course." She picked up Eli's _SpongeBob_ backpack, slinging it over one shoulder, and grabbed the car seat. She waited by the door while Lynette helped Eli get out of bed and tie his sneakers. As Lynette said, he was already in his pajamas– a pair of navy pajama pants with surfing sharks printed on them and a plain white t-shirt. His curly hair was matted in the back from lying down for an extended period, and Brennan noticed the raised, blue and purple bruise on his cheek now that she could see his whole face. She sighed.

Lynette approached, Eli pinned to her side. "Ready to go?"

Brennan nodded and held out the backpack for Eli. "Do you want to carry this?"

Eli tentatively reached for the bag and put it on. He fiddled with the dangling straps and shuffled his feet.

Brennan smiled at him again and followed Lynette out of the room and back towards the elevator, Eli sandwiched between them.

* * *

 ** _I know this chapter was kind of short, but it was really just an introductory/transitional chapter. The next one will hopefully be longer :)_**

 ** _Until next time..._**


	3. Chapter 3

The closer they got to the car, Brennan knew something was wrong with Eli. The little boy's pace was slowing down and he was looking around. Even though it was dark, the parking lot was well lit, so she could see the moment his shoulders began to shake. At that point, she wasn't sure what to do, so she continued to walk, keeping her eyes on the small child in front of her.

Eli was still looking around when Lynette stopped at Brennan's Hybrid SUV, so he bumped into the back of her legs.

"Oops," Lynette said, turning around and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Careful, Eli." She paused and opened the back-passenger door closest to her. "There's a lot more room back here than I expected."

Brennan nodded, taking Lynette's place and focusing on securing Eli's car seat. Once satisfied, she stepped back and looked at Lynette.

Lynette smiled. "All set?" At Brennan's nod, she turned her attention to Eli. "Eli, sweetie, it's time to go." She reached for his hand, but he turned away from her. "Come here, Eli."

Lynette didn't notice when Eli started breathing heavier, but Brennan did. It didn't take her long to figure out what was going on, what had been going on since they reached the parking lot – he was scared.

"Come on, Honey. I am sure Dr. Brennan wants to go home and I know you're tired. Just get in the car."

The second Lynette uttered the word 'car', Eli turned and tried to run, but ended up colliding with Brennan.

Brennan held onto him, afraid to let go in case he attempted to run off again. She felt him vibrating in her arms and heard the hitch in his breathing. When she looked at his face, expecting to see tears, all she saw was a blank expression, dilated pupils, and flushed cheeks.

Lynette blinked. "Of course. I'm sorry, Temperance. I should have realized this might happen."

Brennan shook her head, continuing to run a soothing hand through Eli's hair and down his back. A few minutes later, she noticed he had fallen asleep. She stood, lifting the little boy with her, and carefully set him down in his car seat and buckled him in. "You mentioned he had a stuffed animal with him?"

Lynette nodded. "Um, yes, a dog. It's in his backpack. Here, let me get it." She picked up Eli's backpack, which landed on the floor when the boy tried to run, and unzipped it. She rummaged through the bag and pulled out the ratty stuffed dog. The stuffed animal was missing one of its floppy ears and had a pink patch over one of his eyes, likely due to a missing marble. It reeked of floral perfume and its formally white fur was a dusty brown color. She scrunched up her nose as she handed it to Brennan.

Brennan took the stuffed dog and paused, staring at it.

"Temperance?"

Brennan blinked, shaking her head, and tucked the stuffed dog under Eli's arm. She set his backpack on the floor below his feet and made sure he was secure before closing the door as softly as possible. She let out a breath and stepped away from the car.

"Thank you again, Temperance. It's unlikely I will have any answers for you until Monday."

Brennan nodded. "I understand." It was Friday, after all.

"Have a nice weekend."

"Thank you. Goodnight." Brennan got into the driver's seat and started the car, turning slightly to glance at Eli. She let out a breath, relieved that he was still asleep. She closed her eyes for a moment and then backed out of the parking space.

* * *

It was a quarter to nine when Brennan made the final turn onto their street. They were five minutes from home and Eli was still asleep. She hoped Booth had had the boy's bed already arranged, so she could carry the sleeping boy into the house and tuck him in without delay. She should have known it wasn't going to be that simple.

She had just passed by the neighbor's house when she heard a whimper followed by a hoarse scream. She glanced in the rearview mirror and blinked. Eli was still asleep, but he was thrashing around in his car seat, tugging on the car seat harness. Even though she was less than two minutes from home, she pulled over onto the side of the street and jumped out of the car. She opened Eli's door and stroking his bruised cheek with her thumb. She pushed his wild hair out of his face and took his little hand in hers. "Eli," she whispered. "Eli, sweetheart, wake up."

Eli yanked his hand from her grasp and continued to pull furiously at the straps, kicking his feet. He hiccupped as his screams turned into violent sobs, his body contorting slightly. He coughed and sputtered, his breathing erratic.

Brennan reached in and adjusted the driver's seat so that it was as far forward as possible. She climbed into the back and knelt on the floor in front of Eli. She quickly unbuckled him and grabbed both of his hands.

Despite the new restraint, Eli continued to pull, his body now sliding down so his feet were touching Brennan's thighs.

"Eli," she raised her voice and squeezed his hands, brushing her thumbs across his knuckles. "Eli, sweetheart, wake up. Please," she pleaded. She let go of his hands, and though she didn't want to, she gently shook his shoulder. "Eli," she exhaled when the boy's eyes finally opened.

Eli looked around and his body went rigid.

She rubbed his shoulder and leaned against the back of the driver's seat. She breathed in and out, trying to get her own heart rate to lower. She got out of the car and lifted Eli out of his car seat. The little boy was still shaking and breathing heavy, but he was quiet. She wasn't confident he would tolerate even the short drive to the house, so she decided to walk the remaining distance. She would come back for the car later.

She set Eli on the ground and reached in for his light jacket. She helped him put it on and then hastily grabbed his backpack and stuffed animal. She got her purse off the front passenger seat and pushed the 'engine start stop' button, effectively shutting off the car. She locked the doors and lifted Eli into her arms, settling the little boy on her hip. She started walking towards their house, but paused to watch Eli fiddle with what was left of his stuffed dog's right ear.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes again.

She tore her focus away from the stuffed animal and adjusted her grip on the little boy. "We're almost home, Eli." She quickened her pace and soon they were making their way up the driveway.

* * *

It was obvious that Booth had been waiting up for them because he had the front door open by the time Brennan and Eli reached the front porch. That became even more apparent when he asked, "Where's the car?"

Brennan sighed, walking into the house. "The car is parked next to Mr. Jaeger's mailbox. I'll have to retrieve it sometime tonight."

Booth shrugged, dropping the subject for now. He closed and locked the door and once all three of them were standing in the entry way, he glanced from Brennan to the little boy in her arms. "And this must be Eli. Hey there, little man." He nudged Eli's shoulder and smiled.

She hoisted Eli higher on her hip. "I am going to tuck him in and then we can talk."

Booth nodded, following her down the hallway and into their son's room.

She walked over to the inflatable mattress and set Eli down. She pulled the sheets over him and made sure he was comfortable before leaning over and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight, Eli." She sensed that Booth had followed her, but when she turned around, he wasn't there. She shrugged and looked back at Eli. His eyes were closed, but by the pattern of his breathing, she knew he wasn't asleep yet. She heard the front door close and shook her head. "Goodnight," she said again before leaving the room and heading into her bedroom to wait for Booth to return.

* * *

 ** _Next chapter is partially written, so I hope to have that up this weekend._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_So this update is later than I planned, but to make up for the wait, I made it longer than usual. Enjoy :)_**

* * *

By 7:30 AM, Brennan was on her second cup of coffee. She leaned back against the headboard, mug in hand, and looked down at the body curled up beside her. She ran her fingers through his dark hair and exhaled. He was finally sleeping. She looked towards the door when she heard footsteps and smiled.

Booth passed through the doorway into their bedroom, Hank cradled in his arms. He walked over to the bed and set the toddler down in the middle of the mattress.

She sipped at her coffee and watched as Booth slipped back under the covers. He yawned and pulled the sheet up so it covered both boys. "So what happened last night? You were asleep when I got back and I didn't want to wake you. Why'd you walk home? I mean, I can guess—" He let his voice trail off, looking over at Eli.

She put her mug on the nightstand and shifted to try and find a more comfortable position. "I met Lynette in the E.R., and together we went up to Eli's room. It was going okay. Eli was quiet, but that was to be expected. It was all going okay until—."

"Until what?" Booth prompted.

"Until we reached the parking lot." She swallowed. "He was exhibiting signs of anxiety. He was looking around constantly and he was trembling. The closer we got to my car, the worse he seemed." She sighed, absently dragging her index finger through Eli's curls.

"He was scared to get in the car," Booth figured out.

She nodded. "Yes. He attempted to run away, but he ran into me instead." She closed her eyes for a second, letting out a breath.

Booth reached over the boys and squeezed her shoulder.

She smiled at him. "He fell asleep, so I took that opportunity to buckle him into the car seat. Lynette mentioned he had a stuffed animal in his backpack. I know how much better Christine seems to sleep when she has her bunny with her in bed. I thought Eli might benefit from having his stuffed animal close to him, so I asked Lynette to retrieve it for me."

He smiled, but it faded when she continued.

"I foolishly thought we would make it home without incident. We almost made it. We were on our street, less than five minutes from the house, and he was still asleep." She shook her head. "He started screaming and—he was having a nightmare or a—."

"Flashback?" he guessed.

She nodded. "Yes." She blinked. "I couldn't put him back in the car. I just—. The only option I had was to walk."

He leaned over and she met him halfway. He pressed a soft kiss to her head and then pulled back. "Guess we'll be staying in for the weekend," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "Look, we've had a rough night. You should try to get some sleep."

She nodded, unable to fight off the yawn that escaped. She carefully shimmied down until she was lying flat on the mattress, her head cradled by her pillow, facing Booth. She closed her eyes and let out a breath.

"Goodnight, Bones," he whispered. When he knew for sure she had fallen asleep, he relaxed and soon found himself asleep, as well.

* * *

It was a quarter after 10 when Brennan stirred once again. She rolled onto her back and stretched, careful not to disturb the small body beside her. Looking down, she realized that Booth and Hank were no longer in bed with her, only Eli was.

"Mommy?"

Brennan blinked, startled by the small voice.

"Mommy?" Eli opened his eyes and sat up, looking around. He hiccupped and his breathing came in hurried puffs as he searched the unfamiliar room for a familiar face.

She scooted closer to him and gently placed her hand on his arm. "Eli."

He jerked his head towards her, staring.

She smiled. "Hello." She sniffed the air, noticing the enticing aroma of pancakes coming from the kitchen. "Booth is making pancakes for breakfast. Are you hungry?"

He didn't respond, but his stomach rumbled, answering for him.

"Booth makes excellent pancakes. Christine and Hank enjoy them immensely." She pulled back the covers and slipped off the mattress. She put on her robe and stepped into her slippers. "Would you like some pancakes, Eli? If you do not like pancakes, we have eggs, cereal, or oatmeal, as well."

He plucked at a loose string on the wrinkled sheet and his stomach gurgled again.

"What do you normally eat for breakfast?" She sighed. She turned her head towards the door when she heard a scream, followed by the pitter-patter of little feet against the hard wood floor.

"Hank, no, mom is sleeping and—." Booth's voice got cut off by another joyful scream.

Hank ran into the room and climbed ungracefully onto the bed. He looked from Eli to Brennan and then settled his gaze on Eli. He crawled across the mattress and poked at Eli's leg. "Bwuver," he mumbled. He giggled, poking him again. "Bwuver!"

Brennan reached out for Hank and picked him up. "Yes, sweetheart. This is Eli. He will be staying with us for a few days."

Hank waved. "Hi!" He squirmed in Brennan's arms, so she put him back on the floor.

"Mommy! Daddy! You better get in the kitchen 'fore I eat all the pancakes and you get nothing!" Christine shouted, her voice muffled by her laughter.

Booth shook his head. "Don't you dare touch my pancakes, Monkey!" He called back. "Let's go."

"I will be there in a minute, Booth." Brennan looked down at Hank. "Hank, go with daddy, okay? Mommy needs a minute."

Hank tugged on her pajama pants. "Come now."

She shook her head. "I will be there soon."

"Soon not pwucite."

She laughed. "I see Christine has been doing more than simply reading to you when she climbs into your bed every morning." She paused and scooped him into her arms once more. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and tickled his stomach, causing him to laugh and wiggle around. "I will see you in one minute. Save me three," she held up three fingers, "pancakes."

"Bwuver too?" Hank curled his fingers around the collar of her shirt, his face buried in her neck.

She nodded. "Yes, Eli will be joining us for breakfast."

Hank smiled. "Yay!"

She handed him off to Booth, and soon, she was alone with Eli once again. She sat on the edge of the mattress and looked at the little boy. "Christine was not joking earlier. She _will_ eat all the pancakes if we are not out there in five minutes." She paused and stood up. She picked him up and settled him on her hip. She blinked at the slight dampness she felt. "Oh." She set him back on the floor and without a word, quickly stripped the sheets. "It's okay, Eli." She sighed.

She disappeared into the closet and emerged dressed in new pajamas. She reached for Eli's hand, holding it firmly in hers. "We need to change your pajamas and underwear. Lynette said you had a few outfits in your backpack, but she did not specify whether or not you had another pair of pajamas with you. If not, we can find something of Hank's for you to wear until these are washed and dried. There should be something of his that will fit you."

Eli didn't say anything, but he did walk with her down the hallway to Hank's bedroom.

She let go of his hand and looked inside Eli's backpack. She smiled. "Here we go." She grabbed the small pair of briefs and held up the pajamas – turquoise and navy plaid pajama bottoms and a turquoise short-sleeved shirt with a monster truck in the center of it. She tucked the clothing under her arm and took his hand again, walking with him to the bathroom.

He just stood there as she cleaned him off and redressed him.

She smiled. "All done."

He looked down at his new shirt, tugging on the hem.

She nodded. "It does appear to be short on you, but it will have to do for now." After throwing the pajamas and the sheets in the high-capacity washing machine, the two of them finally headed into the kitchen.

* * *

Booth looked up from his stack of pancakes when Brennan and Eli walked into the kitchen. If he noticed the change in clothes, he didn't say anything. "Hey. Finally."

Brennan smiled and shook her head at the array of pancakes on the counter – blueberry, chocolate chip, banana, strawberry, and of course, plain. She helped Eli onto one of the stools at the island and grabbed a plate. "Do you have a preference, Eli?"

Eli stared at the stacks of pancakes, his eyes bouncing from one platter to the next.

Christine leaned over and pointed to the chocolate chip pancakes. "Those are my favorite. Daddy makes 'em extra chocolatey just for me," she whispered. "Hank likes the blueberry or the banana ones."

"Nana!" Hank interrupted.

Christine continued. "Blueberry's okay, but the banana ones are gross." She stuck out her tongue and shook her head. "Bleck." She paused. "I'm Christine. You're Eli. I know that 'cause Mommy and Daddy said so. They also said that you are going to live with us for a few days." She furrowed her brow and looked over at Booth and Brennan. "Why isn't he saying anything?"

Booth shook his head. "You didn't give him a chance to, Angel. You're talking too fast."

Brennan sighed. "Give him some time, Christine. He is in a new house, with new people, and his mother—his mother is not here. He is scared and confused. He will speak when he is ready."

"When will that be?" Christine asked, glancing over at Eli.

"I am not sure, Sweetheart."

Christine shrugged and went back to eating her pancakes, excepting her mother's answer.

Brennan turned her attention back to Eli. "Did you decide which kind of pancakes you want for breakfast?"

Eli pointed to the chocolate chip pancake stack.

Brennan smiled and placed two pancakes on his plate. She drizzled the small stack with syrup and set the plate in front of him. "Would you like some fruit?" she asked, pointing to the bowl of strawberries and blueberries.

Eli shook his head, poking at his pancakes with his fork.

Brennan poured him a glass of water and then helped herself to some of the plain pancakes.

Booth came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. "It's going to be okay. He'll be fine."

Brennan nodded, leaning back against him for support. "Lynette will not have any information until Monday. I find I am anxious to find out more about Eli. I would like to know where he and his mother were going."

"His mother was probably running from someone."

"Or to someone," Brennan countered. "Or she and Eli could have simply been going on vacation."

Booth nodded. "He's safe now."

She looked at the three children sitting at the island and smiled.

"He kind of looks like you," Booth observed.

"You are only saying that because he has a similar hair color to me and his eyes are blue. While less prominent than brown hair and brown eyes, the combination of brown hair and blue eyes is still not as rare as you may think."

"Whatever you say, Bones."

She speared a piece of his pancake on her fork and shoved it in his mouth. "Just eat your pancakes."

Booth swallowed. He smiled at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Don't you—Booth, what are you—." Brennan stopped talking when she felt him smear a streak of syrup on her cheek. She glared at him and wiped off her cheek with a napkin.

"Better eat your pancakes, Bones, before they get cold."

Brennan was about to say something back, but Christine interrupted her.

"Mommy, Daddy, there's no more syrup." Christine shook the empty bottle of syrup in the air.

"There's another one in the pantry, Sweetheart." Brennan took the empty bottle and tossed it in the recycling bin before retrieving the new bottle from the pantry.

Christine looked over at Eli and frowned. "Daddy? I don't think Eli likes his pancakes. He's not eating them."

Booth nodded. "Just let him be, Monkey."

Brennan returned, handing Christine the syrup.

"Thank you, Mommy."

Brennan smiled. "You're welcome."

"Can we go to the park today?"

Booth and Brennan looked at each other before meeting their daughter's hopeful gaze. Booth sighed. "Not today, Princess, but we'll do something fun at the house. How about a couch fort?"

"But I want to go on the swings." Christine pouted, pushing her plate away. "We always go to the park on Saturday."

"Not today," Booth told her. "I bet Eli's never built a couch fort."

Christine crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't wanna."

Booth shrugged. "Then you can watch the four of us build it." He finished his breakfast and started clearing the dishes.

Brennan let him clean up without a fight; she was too focused on watching Eli slowly nibble on his pancakes – at least he was eating something. She shook her head, feeling Booth nudge her. "Hmm?" she mumbled, her eyes shifting momentarily to Booth and then back to Eli.

"What do you say, Bones? Couch forts?"

Brennan shrugged. "We have yet to browse through that service you insisted we needed. What was it again? Nitflex? Why don't we put on a movie? A Couch fort might be too much, too soon, Booth."

"Netflix, Bones. It's Netflix." Booth laughed. "That sounds great. We can move the coffee table out of the way and put all the cushions on the floor. I'll grab some extra blankets from the closet and we can all lay on the floor. It'll be great."

Brennan smiled. " _I'll_ get the blankets. You can set up the cushions and start browsing through the available films."

Booth nodded. "Got it." He clapped his hands. "Alright. Who wants to watch a movie?" He lifted Hank out of his booster seat and held out his hand for Christine. "I know you're bummed about not going to the park today, Angel, but we do go to the park _every_ Saturday." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "I promise today will just be as fun. It's not every day mom lets you make a mess of the couch, huh?" He paused. "C'mon."

Christine hesitated just a moment before she jumped off the stool and took his hand. She turned her head and smiled. "Eli, do you want to watch a movie with us? We're gonna put all the cushions on the floor and lay on them under blankets."

Eli blinked and looked towards the hallway where he knew Brennan had disappeared to.

"She's coming back, Eli. She's just getting the blankets," Booth assured the boy.

"Dog," Eli mumbled.

Booth blinked. "What? We don't have a dog, though I've been trying to convince Bones we need one."

"He's talking about his stuffed animal, Booth," Brennan explained, emerging from the hallway, a pile of folded blankets in her arms. "I'll go get it." She set the blankets on the coffee table and disappeared again.

* * *

When Brennan returned, Booth had finished setting up and he, Christine, Hank, and Eli were already lounging on the cushions. Booth looked up at her and patted the empty space beside him. "Saved you a spot." He winked. "Hey, Jared had a stuffed animal just like that when he was little."

Brennan looked at the plush dog as she handed it to Eli. "He did?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah."

Brennan settled down beside him. "So you would say it was mass produced?"

Booth raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"If your brother had one, that would mean there was more than one of these stuffed animals made," she clarified.

Booth shrugged. "I guess. I don't think it's one of a kind if that's what you're saying. What's this about?"

Brennan shook her head. "Nothing."

Booth squinted and after a minute, he said, "I know. You had one too, right? Did Max give it to you?" Booth sighed.

Brennan swallowed. "I do not remember ever _not_ having it, so I do not know who gave it to me originally. I suppose it could have been a gift from my father, though he never explicated said it was from him." She blinked. "Can we just watch a movie now?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah."

"Daddy, can we watch _Despicable Me_?" Christine asked, nudging her father to get his attention.

"Again?" Booth mock complained.

Christine nodded. "Uh-huh."

Booth picked up the remote, ready to make the selection. "The first or the second?"

Christine closed her eyes and pursed her lips, thinking. "The first one," she finally said.

Booth nodded. "Okay."

"Don't worry, Daddy. If you need help understanding the minions, I can help translate. I'm fluent in minionese." Christine giggled.

"Minionese is not a real language, Christine," Brennan said, frowning.

Booth smirked. "Don't listen to her, Monkey. Mommy's just jealous that out of the million languages she speaks, she doesn't know Minionese." He selected the movie and set the remote down, waiting for it to load and start playing.

Brennan rolled her eyes and looked at Eli. "Have you seen this movie, Eli?

Eli shook his head.

"Christine seems to enjoy it, so I am sure you will, as well." Brennan tucked the blanket around him and smiled. "If you need something, let me know. We can pause the movie at any point."

Eli didn't say anything; he just stared at the television, hugging his stuffed animal closer to his side.

Halfway through the opening credits, Brennan tapped Booth on the shoulder. "Booth?"

Booth turned his head. "What?" he whispered.

Brennan shook her head. "Never mind."

Booth shrugged. "Just watch the movie, Bones."

Brennan nodded.

Booth glanced at her. She had turned her focus back to the television, but he could tell she was distracted. By what, though, he wasn't sure.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading/reviewing and for the follows/favorites. You guys are the best.**_

 _ **Until next time...**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the delay, but this is a BIG chapter, so I hope you enjoy it ;)**_

* * *

"One, two—." Christine peeked through her fingers and frowned, seeing Eli standing right in front of her. "You're supposed to run and hide. It's called _Hide_ -n-go-seek. You hide and I count to 100 before I come try and find you. The first person found is the next person to count. Why aren't you hiding? Haven't you ever played this game before?" She nudged him.

Eli stared up at her and blinked.

"Ooookay," she breathed out. "I guess I'll count and you can come with me to find Mommy and Daddy." She re-covered her eyes and started to count again, beginning where she left off.

While Christine counted, Brennan slipped into her bedroom and went into her closet. She felt around on the top shelf and smiled when her hand landed on the box she was searching for. She pulled it down and set it on the bed. She stared at it, listening to her daughter as she continued to count.

"15, 16, 17—."

Brennan sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. She should be hiding right now, but a thought occurred to her just as the final credits of the movie appeared on the screen earlier and she couldn't let it go. Exhaling, she lifted the box onto her lap and rested her hand on the lid, brushing her finger over the label: _Family Photos_. Another few seconds passed before she took off the lid and looked inside. She had found the box at her father's apartment when she and Russ were sorting through his things; it had been hidden under the floorboards in his guestroom.

"Ready or not, here we come!" Christine shouted.

Brennan blinked, shoving the box under the bed and standing up. She looked around and disappeared into the closet again, hiding behind Booth's dress shirts. She heard Christine walk down the hall and then heard the door creek open.

"I bet Mommy is in here. I'll check the bathroom and you can check under the bed. We'll check the closet next," Christine told Eli.

Eli shrugged, but made his way over to the bed. He got on his hands and knees and peered under the dust ruffle. Finding a box, he pulled it out and took off the lid. He reached in and picked up the stack of digital photos inside.

Christine walked out from the bathroom. "Mommy's not in there. I even checked behind the door." She paused. "What are you doing, Eli?"

Eli looked up at her and blinked. "Patch," he said, pointing to a picture in his hand.

Christine knelt down beside him and took the photo. "Who's Patch?"

He held up the stuffed dog he had carried into the room with him. "Patch."

She squinted at the picture. "That's Mommy." She pointed to the little girl smiling at the camera.

"I'm growing old over here!" Booth called from somewhere outside the bedroom. "I'm shriveling up and turning gray!"

Christine giggled and dropped the picture onto the floor. "C'mon, Eli. I know where Daddy is." She leaned over and cupped his ear. "He's hiding behind the washing machine," she whispered.

Eli stood up and pointed to the closet.

"I don't think Mommy's in here. Let's go find Daddy." She grabbed his hand and the two of them left the room.

* * *

Brennan waited a few seconds before she ventured back out into the bedroom. She swallowed hard and hesitantly walked over to the bed, staring down at the mess of pictures on the floor.

That was exactly where Booth found her a half hour later. Christine had grown tired of Hide-n-go-seek shortly after she found him in the laundry room and she and Eli were having a snack at the kitchen counter. "Bones?"

Brennan jumped, turning around to face him. "Hmm?"

"Christine and Eli are having a snack in the kitchen. You okay in here?"

She nodded. "Yes." She squatted and started picking up the photos.

"What's all this?"

"Nothing." She closed the box and stood up. "You should go into the kitchen and make sure the children are okay."

He took a few steps forward, taking the box from her. He looked down at it. "Family Photos?" He smiled. "Baby Bones, huh? This I gotta see." He could count on one hand how many vintage pictures of his wife he had seen over the years; he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

"Booth—."

He waved a hand at her and sat on the edge of the bed. "This is gonna be good." With the box in his lap, he took off the lid and tossed it down beside him. He took out the pictures and set the box aside. Laughing, he held up a picture of Brennan, no more than three, with tomato sauce all over her face.

"Booth—." She tried to stop him again, but he just ignored her.

He paused, looking down at a picture of a younger man, presumably Max, with a young Brennan sitting on his shoulders. She was laughing, but was covering her eyes with her hands. He sighed and looked over at her. "I'm sorry, Bones."

"It's fine, Booth. My father is gone and, and I'm fine." She paused. "I'm going to check on Christine and Eli," she announced, leaving the room.

The novelty of seeing 'Little Bones' wore off fast. He put the pictures away and left the box on the bed, unsure where she had been hiding it. He shook his head at his own stupidity; he should have known seeing pictures of Max would upset her.

* * *

In the kitchen, Brennan was leaning against the counter, wringing a dishtowel in her hands while watching Christine and Eli eat their apples. She took her eyes off the children when she noticed Booth walking down the hallway. She sighed.

Booth approached carefully. "Hi again, Monkey." He kissed Christine on the top of his head. "Hey there, Eli, bud." He ruffled his hair and walked around the counter.

"What are we doing next, Daddy? Can we go to the park?" Christine asked, picking at the skin of the apple slice in her hand.

Booth sighed. "We talked about this. Not—."

"Yes," Brennan said, cutting him off.

Booth turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Bones? I thought we talked about this," he whispered loudly. "We agreed—."

Brennan nodded. "I know." She let out a breath. "You, Hank, and Christine should go to the park. Just because Eli is here, we shouldn't break from our normal schedule. It is likely that Eli will not be our last foster child and if we want Christine and Hank to accept–and not resent—sharing their home, I believe it is important to not disrupt other aspects of their lives too much."

He squinted at her. "That was nice, Bones. Creative. I almost believed that."

"Huh?"

"If you want to be alone, you can just say so." He shook his head. "Message received."

She sighed. "I would like some time to myself if you don't mind. I will stay here with Eli. The scrabble board is still set up from the other night, so perhaps we will play a game while you are at the park."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and then turned to Christine, rubbing his hands to together. "Guess we're going to the park after all, Angel."

Christine's face lit up. "Yay!" She hopped off the stool and hurried down the hallway to get ready.

Booth sighed. "We'll miss you today."

Brennan nodded.

"You sure you're okay?"

Brennan nodded again. "I just want to be alone right now."

"Okeydokey." Booth followed Christine, disappearing into Hank's room to get the toddler ready for an afternoon at the park.

* * *

Christine beat Booth to the kitchen She stood near the door, arms crossed, foot lightly tapping on the floor, with her backpack slung over her shoulders. "Can I wait in the car? Daddy is going to take _forever_."

Brennan shook her head. "Your father will be out with your brother any minute, Christine."

Christine sighed. "But the park is going to close before we get there."

Brennan shook her head. "Christine," she said, sternly, "the park is not due to close until 7 PM."

Finally, after 10 minutes, or so it seemed to an impatient first grader, Booth came out of Hank's room, the toddler settled on his hip. Armed with a bag of Hank's favorite toys, he walked into the kitchen and proceeded to fill the bag with a few snacks for all three of them just in case. He looked over at Christine, who was bouncing up and down in anticipation. "Ready?"

"YES!" Christine pulled open the door and practically darted out onto the front porch.

"Wait there, Christine," Booth warned, turning his focus to Brennan. "You sure you don't want to join us?"

Brennan nodded. "I am sure."

Booth nodded and turned towards the door.

"Booth?"

Booth looked over his shoulder at her.

"I'm okay. I just need some—."

"Time and space," Booth smiled. "Got it, Bones."

"Daddy?" Christine called to him.

"Coming, Princess." Booth smiled at Brennan one last time before leaving.

* * *

Brennan folded the dishtowel and set it down on the counter. She turned around and glanced at Eli.

Eli's eyes were wide and his bottom lip was trembling slightly. A thin line of tears gathered just behind his lower eyelid, threatening to spill over, and his cheeks were rosy.

She didn't know whether he was upset because Christine, Hank, and Booth left or because he was scared. When he didn't appear to calm down after she assured him the three of them would return later that afternoon, she surmised he was frightened. She sighed and cleared the dishes when it was obvious the little boy was finished with his snack. Picking him up, she carried him over to the couch and sat down, settling him onto her lap. She kissed his forehead and leaned back, exhaling. "I, too, was afraid of cars for a long time," she confessed. "I refused to go near them, which made things quite difficult. It was not until I passed my driver's test and was able to get behind the wheel that I started to feel more comfortable. My therapist at the time told me it was a control issue, which I suppose I can understand now, but then? I told her she was full of bologna."

He cracked a small smile.

"I didn't use those exact words. What I said to her was much more colorful – metaphorically speaking." She paused. "As you are still years away from obtaining your driver's license, I hope you overcome your fear before then." She ran her finger through his hair, parting it down the middle. "I'd like to show you something if you don't mind waiting here for a few seconds." She stood up and set the small child on the couch. She draped a blanket over his lap and smiled. She hurried down the hallway and into her bedroom, returning with the box of pictures. As she leafed through the pictures for the first time since retrieving the box from her father's apartment, she paused, looking down at the photo she was holding. Though she knew he had already seen the picture since she had overheard him and Christine while they were searching for her earlier, she showed it to him anyway.

"Patch!" Eli showed her the dog and pointed to the stuffed animal in the photo.

"Can I see Patch, Eli?"

He held the dog closer to his side for a few seconds before he slowly held it out for her.

She took it hesitantly and turned him over. She closed her eyes and ran her finger along the dog's bottom, fearing what she would find. She stopped and swallowed. Part of it was missing, but it was there – the uneven stitching. She blinked her eyes open and stared at it. The last 'e' was gone and part of the 'm' was, too, but she could still make out what it said: Tempe.


	6. Chapter 6

On Sunday morning, Booth groaned as he rolled onto his back. He wriggled and stretched on the mattress, slowly waking up. Running a hand down his face, he turned towards Brennan's side of the bed and frowned when he found it empty. He reached out a hand and felt the sheets–cold. "Bones?" he called out, sitting up. "Bones?" He got out of bed and slipped on his robe.

He sighed. She had been acting strange since he and the kids returned from the park yesterday, but when he asked her what was wrong, she shrugged and told him she was fine. It was a lie, but he let it go. He noticed the polite, but obviously fake, smile she displayed when their daughter animatedly told her how she made it all the way across the monkey bars by herself. He didn't want to bring it up in front of the kids, so he confronted her after dinner. Again, all she said was that she was fine. She barely said two words to him as they readied for bed and though they kissed goodnight, he could tell she wasn't 100% into it.

Now that he thought about it, she had been acting strange long before they left for the park. She seemed distracted during the movie. Not only that, but she basically kicked him out of the house. He knew she was upset; the pictures had stirred up memories of her father. But was she mad at him?

"Bones?" He walked down the hallway, whispering. It didn't appear that anyone else in the house was awake – it was too quiet. He didn't want to risk waking them up. Though she didn't answer his calls, he found her in the doorway of their son's room leaning against the doorframe. When he got closer, he realized she wasn't watching Hank; her eyes were focused on Eli. He came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Brennan jumped, inhaling sharply. Exhaling, she turned her head and blinked. "Booth?"

"C'mere." He put his hand on her back and pulled her away from the room.

"But the boys—." She waved in the direction of the sleeping children.

"Are asleep. C'mon." He dropped his hand when he was sure she would come with him.

She followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch beside him.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. "What's going on?" he asked after a moment.

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that." He sighed. "You didn't make any of your usual comments during the movie, you kicked me out of the house after we agreed on 'no park', we didn't speak through dinner or when we were getting ready for bed, and you acted like you didn't want to kiss me last night. Plus, you weren't in bed when I woke up." He paused. "Are you mad at me? Or—." He thought for a second and blinked. "Are you—do you want to adopt Eli? Is that why you were staring at him this morning?" They had talked about expanding their family a while ago, but it was merely a thought, a possibility; the option was there, it was open, but they weren't making any definite plans.

She swallowed. "Booth—."

"No, don't." He exhaled, trying not to raise his voice. "Tell me what's going on."

She nodded, but pulled away. She stood up and started walking down the hallway.

He jumped up. "Hey! Bones, we have to talk." He followed her as she pushed open the door to their bedroom. He watched as she went into the closet and returned with the 'Family Photos' box. Maybe she _was_ mad at him for looking at the pictures after all.

"I—it's not—I'm not mad at you, Booth." She finally spoke, sifting through the pictures. "And I don't want to adopt Eli. I mean, I hadn't thought about it."

He blinked, waiting for her to keep talking. When she didn't say anything right away, he nodded. "Okay."

She walked over to him and handed him a picture.

He looked down and then back up at her. "You had a stuffed dog too. Ha."

"Wait here." She disappeared again and when she came back, she was holding Eli's stuffed animal.

He took the dog from her and raised an eyebrow, silently prompting her to explain.

She nodded. "My dad gave me that stuffed animal when I was two years-old. I do not remember the exact moment, but I always remembered having it. I asked him about it when I was five and he told me he saw it in a toy store window when he was coming home from work one day and had to get it for me. I always wanted a dog, but my mother was allergic, so this was the best he could do. I took that dog everywhere I went for years–to the grocery store, to school, to the park. I would not leave the house without it."

He nodded, but stayed silent; he knew there was more to the story.

"I—I looked for it when my parents disappeared, but I couldn't find it. I wanted to bring it with me, but it wasn't there." Her breath hitched and she swallowed, blinking back tears. "I didn't think I'd ever see it again. Until—."

"Until what, Bones?"

"Until now." She took the dog back from him. "My mother kept a sewing kit in the hall closet. I was six and was watching her sew up a tear in one of Russ' t-shirts. He got it caught on a fence, I think, but he was always ripping his clothing, so it could have happened anywhere. She asked me if I wanted to help her. The outcome was not a clean stitch, but it held."

He smiled.

"I practiced for months after that, perfecting my technique. I got bored and wanted to try something different, something more difficult. My mother suggested I try stitching my name. She would give me swatches of fabric and I would practice. She went to the store one day and while she was gone, I took the sewing kit from the closet and locked myself in my room. I didn't know where my mother kept the swatches of fabric—they weren't with the sewing supplies—so I decided to try stitching my name into my stuffed animal." She turned 'Patch' upside down and ran a finger over the years-old stitching.

"Bones?"

She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I only managed 'Tempe' before my mother came home. I wasn't supposed to be using a needle without her supervision. I didn't want to get in trouble, so I put the sewing kit back in the closet and returned to my room." She righted the dog and stared at it for a minute before going on. "Two years later, I was still sleeping with the stuffed animal at night, though I didn't carry it around anymore. Russ used to tease me about that. He thought I was too 'old'. I was in the living room reading a book when he took it off my bed and cut off its ear right in front of me. He thought it was funny, I did not, so when he was in the shower later, I cut up some of his baseball cards to teach him a lesson."

He stared at her and then looked at the dog in her arms. It, too, was missing an ear.

She paused briefly, but kept talking. "I am not sure how it lost one of its marble eyes. Russ might have taken it out as another joke or it could have fallen out. I just know I noticed it was gone one day. My mother sewed a swatch of orange fabric over the hole." She brushed her thumb across the pink square. "It must have faded."

"Bones, what are you saying?"

"There are too many coincidences for me not to conclude that this is—was—mine. I do not know how Eli got it or—."

"Maybe the reason you couldn't find it in the house is because your parents gave it away?"

She shook her head. "Not likely. No one would have taken it, not even the local children's hospital. My mother washed it several times and it still didn't come clean." She paused. "The only explanation I have is that my parents took it with them when they left, but I don't know _why_ they would have. They would have had no use for it. And even if they did, why wasn't it found with my mother's body like Russ' marble? Or why wouldn't my father have mentioned it when he came back into my life years ago?"

"Bones."

She stopped, looking at him. "What?"

"They took it with them so they would have a piece of you with them. You loved that thing. You said it yourself, you carried it around everywhere you went."

"But why—."

He shrugged. "The only two people who know that answer are—."

"Dead," she finished.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

At the small voice, they both turned their heads and blinked. Booth walked over to the door and picked up Hank, smiling at him. He tickled the toddler's stomach and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, little man."

Hank rubbed his eyes and beamed.

Booth looked back over at Brennan. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Just confused and I do not like being confused."

He smiled. "We'll figure it out." He paused. "How about French Toast for breakfast?"

She shrugged. "I'm not that hungry."

"You gotta eat and so do our three monkeys." He bounced Hank up and down, causing the little boy to laugh. "Let's go see if your sister's awake while mom gets Eli."

Brennan closed the gap between them and tugged on his arm.

Booth looked down at her. "Yes?"

She stood on her tippy-toes and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Booth." She paused. "And I am sorry for my behavior. It was not my intention to make you think I was angry at you."

He kissed her again and then stepped back. "You're forgiven, but you can always talk to me. I'm all ears."

She smirked. "Your ears _are_ quite large."

"Hey!"

She laughed, suddenly feeling a lot better. "I'm only joking. Your ears are proportionate to your skull."

"Are you saying my head's big? Because we have the same head circumference, you know."

"Me hungwy!" Hank interrupted.

Booth nodded. "You heard the man. He's hungry. Let's eat." He left, disappearing into Christine's bedroom.

Brennan picked up 'Patch' from where she set him down on the bed and exhaled. Closing her eyes for a second, she opened them and headed down the hall. ****


	7. Chapter 7

Brennan sipped at her coffee slowly, savoring the fresh brew. She was up again last night with Eli, though this time, she opted to bring the little boy out into the living room and crash on the couch. She barely slept, even after Eli settled down.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in and exhaled, bringing the mug to her lips once more.

"There you are."

She jumped, dropping the mug on the floor. The ceramic mug shattered, splashing steaming hot coffee against her exposed legs. She gasped, muttering as she turned around. "Booth!"

Booth frowned. "Didn't mean to scare ya, Bones. The boys are eating breakfast. Christine's complaining of a stomach ache, so she's still in bed." He bent down to help pick up the larger shards. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, slapping his hands away. "Yes."

"You want some more coffee?"

She shook her head, tossing the broken mug pieces in the trash can. "I'm going to take a shower." As she passed him, he reached out and grabbed her arm. She spun back to face him and stared at him.

He loosened his grip and gently caressed her forearm with his thumb. "Maybe Russ knows something. You should call him," he suggested.

She shrugged. "I'm going to check on Christine and then I'm going to take a shower." Without waiting for a reply, she left him in the atrium and headed for their daughter's bedroom.

* * *

Brennan wasn't sure if Booth tipped him off or if it was just a coincidence, but around 10:30 while Booth was at church, Russ called. She was tempted to let the answering machine pick it up, but she answered on the fourth ring. "Hello," she greeted. "Is something the matter? Are the girls okay? Is it Amy?"

Russ chuckled. _"Tempe, relax. Everyone is great."_

She sighed, nodding. "Is this a social call, then? Or are you calling to check up on me? Because I am fine, Russ. It has been months."

 _"Booth—."_

She rolled her eyes. "Should not have called you," she finished, getting the answer to her earlier enquiry.

 _"But_ _ **why**_ _did he call me? He didn't say anything, just that I should give you a call."_

She shifted on the couch and switched the phone to her other ear. "When you and dad were on the run together, did he, did he talk about anything?"

 _"Yeah, we talked. C'mon, Tempe, what do you really want to know? Did we talk about you? Is that what you mean?"_

"Never mind. It was nice talking to you and if Booth calls you again, don't listen to him."

 _"Hey, wait! Don't hang up. Seriously, what's going on?"_

She shook her head. "Nothing."

 _"I'm not buying it, Tempe. Booth was concerned enough to ask me to call you. It must be important or he wouldn't have risked getting his ass kicked by you."_

She groaned. "Do you remember Bunsen?"

 _"As in Dr. Robert Bunsen? No, never met the guy, but I hear he's a pretty important dude. He invented some torch like thing, right?"_ He laughed. " _How could I forget that stupid dog? I had a huge bruise on my shin for a week after I cut off its ear. And I'm sure I would have gotten it a lot worse if Mom didn't pull you away."_

She nodded. "I wanted to cut off _your_ ear, but Mom wouldn't let me." She paused. "Did Dad ever mention it? When you and him were on the run, did he say—do you know what happened to it?"

 _"Nope. I don't know what happened to it after you stopped being so obsessed with it. Did you find it at Dad's place? I don't remember seeing it there when we were sorting through his stuff. I always thought they gave it away to Goodwill or something."_

"Okay. Thanks. Goodbye."

 _"Wait. Tempe, what's going on?"_

She shook her head. Booth had been wrong; Russ didn't know anything and this conversation was pointless. "Nothing. Tell the girls and Amy I say hello. I plan to come visit soon. With the Jeffersonian still under construction and my classes suspended for the summer, I have some free time. If Booth is not able to take time off, I will come myself. Perhaps I will bring Christine with me. She has been asking me when she can see her cousins again ever since Dad's funeral."

 _"Tempe—."_

"It won't be this week. Eli is here until Monday, at least, and Booth's boss will require more than a few days' notice for a vacation request. Are you planning any trips? I want to make sure you are available the days we will be visiting."

 _"Tempe—."_

"I have to go," she rushed out, hearing cries from one of the back bedrooms. Knowing Hank was with Booth and Christine was sleeping on the couch beside her, that could only mean it was Eli who was the source of the screams.

 _"Who's Eli?"_

"Russ, I need to go. I will talk to you later. Please let me know when would be the best time to come visit you and the girls." She hung up without waiting for any sort of reply from her brother and dropped the phone onto the couch as she stood up.

Christine stirred, groaning. She didn't fully awake and was back asleep in seconds.

Brennan adjusted the blanket around the little girl and left to find out what was wrong with Eli.

* * *

Brennan entered the darkened bedroom and found Eli sitting up on his makeshift bed. She switched on the lamp and knelt on the floor beside the small boy. He was pale and his blue eyes were nearly clear as he stared at her. "Eli?" She placed her hand on his arm to try to get his attention.

Eli blinked, shifting positions.

She looked over his shoulder and noticed the wet spot on the sheets. She sighed and stood up. "We need to clean you up, Sweetheart," she said. She held out her hand, but wasn't too surprised when he didn't take it. "It's okay." She left him sitting there for a moment while she went over to his backpack. As she dug through it for a change of clothes, she stopped when she heard a crinkling sound. Feeling paper beneath her fingertips, she pulled it out and looked at the blank, half sheet of loose-leaf. She turned it over, revealing a phone number. She blinked. The number was unfamiliar, but the messy scrawl was unmistakable. She dropped the note and looked at Eli for a long moment. Shaking her head, she reached for the paper again and stared at the number…at her father's handwriting.


	8. Chapter 8

_**I know it's been a little while since the last update, but here is the next chapter. It's just a filler/transitional chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something...**_

* * *

Brennan was sitting on the couch, her computer open in her lap, the television displaying cartoons in the background. She looked up briefly when she heard the front door open and then looked back at the screen.

"How's she feeling?" Booth asked, glancing over at Christine who was lying on the cushions on the floor watching the T.V. with Eli right beside her. He dropped his keys and wallet in the bowl by the door and shrugged out of his suit jacket.

Brennan paused, looking up. "She's feeling better," she answered. "She just had a bowl of dry cheerios."

Booth nodded, nudging Little Hank in the shoulder. "Go lay down with Christine and Eli, Bub."

Hank ran over to his sister and jumped onto the cushions, giggling as he landed on his belly.

Booth smiled, walking over to Brennan and sitting down next to her. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "Writing a new book?" he asked, peering over her shoulder to look at her computer screen.

Brennan shook her head, closing the lid slightly. "I was googling." She shook her head. "I do not see why it is so popular; I received 2000 links, but most of them were not helpful. I found two websites that may have been useful; however, they required me to enter my credit card number in order for me to obtain any relevant information."

"You didn't, did you?"

She shook her head. "Of course not."

He exhaled. "What were you trying to find out?"

"The individual that a particular phone number is registered to."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know why?"

She sighed.

He reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Bones, what's wrong? Did someone call you? Threaten you? Did they leave a message?" He started to get up, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that." She paused. "I called the number, but it has been disconnected."

"What number? Bones."

She leaned forward and grabbed the piece of paper off the coffee table.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, holding the corner of the note, as if the ripped paper was a piece of evidence in a murder investigation.

"In Eli's backpack. Booth—." She swallowed. "My father wrote it. That's, it's my father's handwriting."

He relaxed and looked at the note more closely. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, but I don't recognize the number." She paused. "Why did you call Russ?"

He pursed his lips. "I was worried about you, Bones. I knew you wouldn't call him, but I thought he could help."

"Well, he didn't. He had no useful information."

"So you talked to him?"

She nodded. "Yes, but like I said, he was not helpful. Perhaps, my parents should have named him Google."

He smiled.

"I just want to know how Eli ended up with Bunsen and why he would have a handwritten note from my father."

"Bunsen?" He snickered.

She shoved him. "Shut up, Booth. I didn't name him. My father did."

He sighed. "Sorry."

She deflated slightly, sinking deeper into the couch cushions.

He set her laptop on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around her, her head falling to his shoulder. "One of my guys owes me a favor. I'll give him a call and see what he can dig up on the phone number. And you said Lynette told you the police suspect Eli and his mom were running from someone, right?" Feeling her nod, he continued. "Maybe they were running from Eli's dad. If his dad was a bad guy, he might have a record. I can bring Eli's toothbrush down to the FBI forensics team tomorrow and ask them to run his DNA. If his dad's in the system, we might get a hit."

"He wet the bed again," she whispered.

He nodded.

"If Lynette can't find a competent relative willing to take Eli in permanently, I want him to stay with us. He's so—I don't want him to—."

He kissed her head. "I know, Bones, I know."

She let out a breath.

"We'll figure this out."

She sat up and looked at him. "This is just another secret my father was keeping from me."

"We keep lots of things from the kids, Bones."

"They're seven and two, Booth!" When Christine and Eli turned their heads, she sighed and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "I'm a grown woman. I did not need him to protect me."

"He's your dad, Bones. It doesn't matter if you needed him to, he was going to do what he could to protect you anyway." He looked over at the children and sighed. "That's just what fathers do. The good ones, at least." He paused. "Have you slept at all today? You look exhausted."

She shook her head and yawned, proving his point. "I slept for three hours last night and then Eli woke up."

"Bones."

"I'm fine, Booth."

"Close your eyes, Bones. Forget about that stupid dog and your father for a second and just sleep. We can worry about all this tomorrow. It's Sunday. It's the day of rest. The kids are fine and will be occupied for at least an hour. Please."

She shifted, stretching out on the couch. She rolled onto her back, her head in his lap, and looked up at him. "Will you call your _guy_ , the one who owes you a favor?"

He smiled. "Later."

"And you will talk to the forensics team tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She closed her eyes and rolled back onto her side. "Thank you."

He ran his fingers through her hair, much like he did whenever Christine fell asleep in his lap. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you," she mumbled, half asleep.

"I know." He leaned back and turned his attention to the television.


	9. Chapter 9

Brennan let out a breath as she closed her laptop. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had been writing for two and a half hours. With Booth at work and Christine and Little Hank with Angela and Hodgins, she had taken advantage of the quiet and nearly empty house, but it was time for a break. She set the computer on the coffee table and stood up. She looked over at the kids' craft table where Eli was sitting, the little boy busy with one of Christine's many coloring books. She continued to observe, watching him carefully select a light shade of blue from the crayon box, before she approached the table.

Eli replaced the crayon in the box and with his tongue between his pursed lips, he scanned the other colors, his eyes darting back and forth from the still uncolored dog on the page to the assortment of crayons. He pulled out a dusty brown and got to work coloring in the dog's spots.

She cleared her throat and squatted down, resting her hand on the table for balance. "Eli?"

Eli paused and looked over at her.

"Would you like to go for a walk outside with me?"

He glanced back at the coloring book and then looked up at her again, setting his crayon down on the table. He nodded.

She smiled. "Okay." She paused, noticing their socked feet. "We'll need shoes." She walked down the hallway with Eli following close behind her. They stopped at Hank's bedroom first to get Eli's sneakers and then they continued to Brennan's room. Before leaving the house, she grabbed her cell phone, just in case anyone called while they were on their walk. She was still expecting a call from Lynette and she hoped Booth would call with more information.

* * *

Eli seemed okay, Brennan noted, as they walked the perimeter of the house. They stopped at the garden she and Christine planted earlier in the spring. He knelt in the grass and ran his hands through the dirt, his eyes brightening when he found a worm.

Brennan nodded. "Lumbricus terrestris, also known as the earthworm."

Eli poked the wriggling worm and laughed.

She blinked, taken aback by the exuberant chuckle that escaped the usually silent and withdrawn child.

He laughed again, watching the worm burrow back into the dirt. He waved at the worm and then got up, wiping his hands off on his pants.

As he stood, her cell phone vibrated in her back pocket. She reached for it and stared at the contact name on the screen. Exhaling, she answered the phone. "Dr. Brennan speaking."

Eli looked up at her briefly before continuing to walk ahead.

 _"Good afternoon, Dr. Brennan. Is this a good time?"_

Brennan nodded, following Eli as he set the pace. "Yes."

 _"Great. How is Eli doing?"_

"He's doing okay. He's barely spoken a word since we arrived home Friday night and he appears to be frightened of vehicles. He's been having nightmares, so he isn't sleeping much, but he _is_ eating."

 _"I hope he hasn't been too much trouble."_

She rolled her eyes. "He is terrified of vehicles because he was in a car accident, a car accident in which his mother was killed right in front of him. He is now living with four strangers in a strange house. He is not trouble. He is a child, a four-year-old boy who doesn't quite understand what is going on. All he knows is that his mother is not here." She was thankful Eli was a bit farther ahead and couldn't hear her. She swallowed, regaining some of her composure. Perhaps things would have been different for her if she hadn't been labeled as'troubled', but it was pointless to even entertain the idea.

 _"I'm sorry, Temperance. I was not—it was not my intention—."_

"As I said, he is doing okay." Brennan paused. "Before we discuss anything further, I would like to propose something." Without waiting for a response, she continued. "I am interested in fostering Eli long term. In the case that you were unable to find a competent relative willing to care for him, I mean."

 _"Actually, it turns out that Eli has a Great Aunt on his mother's side. She lives in Buffalo and has agreed to take him in."_

Brennan blinked. "Oh." She paused. "What about his father? Have you ascertained his identity?"

 _"We are still awaiting the DNA test results. We are hoping to get lucky."_

"There is no such thing as luck." Brennan paused. "And a DNA test will only be helpful if his father's DNA is in the system."

 _"We are aware of that, Temperance."_

"What if there are no matches? Do you have another idea for how you are going to track down Eli's biological father?" Brennan heard Lynette sigh into the phone.

 _"At the moment? No, I don't. For now, we are just waiting for the results and will go from there. Eli's Aunt is on her way here as we speak and should arrive later tonight."_

Brennan blinked. Tonight? She looked at the child, who was now crouched down a few feet in front of her.

Eli plucked a dandelion from the grass and brushed his thumb across the yellow petals. He pulled out a few more and stood. He ran over to Brennan and handed them to her.

Brennan sighed, taking the weeds. She smiled at him and mouthed 'Thank you'.

" _Temperance? Hello?"_

Brennan shook her head. "Yes, I am still here."

" _If you wouldn't mind keeping Eli for the night, that would be great. His Aunt was planning on getting a hotel room and taking him home in the morning. I can arrange for her to meet you at your home or we can meet at my office around 10 o'clock."_

Brennan nodded. "I suppose we can meet at your office if that would be more convenient for you."

" _Okay. Then, I will see you tomorrow at 10."_

Brennan nodded. "Yes."

" _Thank you again, Temperance. It may not seem like it, but you are making a big difference."_

They said their goodbyes and Brennan hung up first. Just as she was sliding her phone back into her pocket, it started to vibrate again. It was Booth. Before answering it, she motioned for Eli to come over to her. "Hey, Eli, are you hungry?"

He shrugged.

Though it wasn't much of an answer, she figured he must be hungry, so the two of them headed back into the house. "The phone was disposable, wasn't it?" she asked, forgoing any small talk or greeting.

" _No hello?"_ Booth laughed.

"Was it disposable?" she asked again.

" _Yes. My guys traced the phone back to AT &T, but that's as far as they got. They're still working on it." _He paused. _"They are also looking through Eli's mother's phone records to see if that number appears anywhere."_

"You know his mother's name? Lynette never mentioned her name."

" _Special Agent, Bones." He paused. "Her name was Lucy Renaldo."_

"Lucy Renaldo?"

" _Do you know her, Bones?"_

Brennan shook her head. "No, but—." She blinked. "When Russ and I were clearing out Max's apartment, I found a picture of him and a much younger female. It was in his nightstand. There was a note on the back, but it was illegible. The ink was smudged, but it was signed L.R." She paused. "She had blonde hair, but I don't remember much else about her. I only looked at the photograph for a second."

" _Bones?"_

"Did the crime lab get the results back on the DNA test?" she asked, changing the subject.

" _Not yet, but I told them to put a rush on it. When they know something, I'll know something."_

She nodded. "Lynette said she is also running the DNA."

" _Bones."_

"She called earlier. Eli has a Great Aunt in Buffalo and she is on her way here."

" _Oh?_ "

Now inside, she sent Eli into the living room while she went into the kitchen to make something for the two of them to eat.

" _I have to go, Bones. Duty calls. If I hear anything from my guys, I'll call you."_ He paused. _"Hey, do you have that picture? Of your dad and that woman?"_

"No."

" _Never mind then."_

"Booth?"

" _Yeah?"_

"Did Lucy have blonde hair?" she asked, starting to craft a turkey and cheese sandwich for Eli.

" _Yes."_

She gasped, looking down at her hand as blood pooled onto the plate. Her head snapped up when she heard a scream. She tried to reassure Eli, who had moved from the living room into the kitchen undetected while she was on the phone and was now standing next to her. She could hear Booth shouting through the phone, but she ignored him. While trying to comfort Eli, she rinsed the wound with water and wrapped it in a paper towel to staunch the bleeding temporarily. She peeled back the bloody paper towel and examined the small slices in her right thumb and index finger. She wouldn't need stitches, she concluded. Thankfully.

Eli was just standing there, staring at the floor—at the droplets of blood. His eyes were glassy and his cheeks were slightly damp, but there were no fresh tears. His little boy was shaking and his breathing pattern shifted from even-paced to hurried and deep.

She disposed of the plate and sandwich, quickly wiped the floor and counter, and returned to Eli, kneeling in front of him.

"Mommy!" He looked around as he called out.

She grabbed his hands and held on, looking directly at him.

Her touch seemed to ground him in reality and he blinked, focusing on her.

She exhaled. "I'm okay, Eli. I just need to clean my thumb and index finger properly and bandage the wound to ensure it doesn't get infected." She smiled at him and stood up. She picked up the phone still on the counter. "Booth?" She thought he'd have hung up, but he didn't.

" _Bones! What the Hell just happened?"_

"I'm fine. I don't need stitches."

" _Stitches? I'm coming home right now."_

She rolled her eyes. "That is not necessary, Booth. I was making Eli a sandwich and I accidentally cut my thumb and part of my index finger. The wounds are not deep and I do not require any stitches." She heard him exhale, though she knew he was still worried. "I assure you I am fine, Booth."

" _Okay."_ He paused. " _I really have to go now."_

She nodded. "Booth?"

" _We'll figure this out, Bones. It might just be a coincidence."_

"There are no coincidences in a murder investigation, Booth."

" _Is this what this is?"_

She shrugged. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Booth."

" _I love you."_

"I love you, too," she said before hanging up.


	10. Chapter 10

Brennan leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes for a moment. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, she sighed. She had ten minutes to make it down town to meet Lynette and Eli's aunt and she was still in her driveway. She managed to get Eli buckled in the car seat without much incident, but the second she started to back up, he started screaming. She unbuckled herself and got out of the car. She opened the side door and crawled partly into the backseat. She adjusted Eli's car seat harness and picked up 'Patch' off the floor, handing the stuffed dog to Eli.

Eli hugged the dog closer to him and stared at her, tears lingering on his reddened cheeks.

She smiled at him and brushed his hair to one side. "I know you're scared, Eli, but we have to leave now if we're going to make it to Lynette's office on time. Your aunt is excited to see you and she is looking forward to taking you home with her." She stood up and pushed the button to lower the window before shutting the door and getting back into the driver's seat. She put on her seatbelt and looked at Eli through the rearview mirror. To keep her occupied on long car rides when she was younger, her father often had her count as high as she could. She just thought it was a fun game, never knowing his ulterior motive until years later. She wondered if the 'game' would help distract Eli. There was only one way to find out. "Eli, sweetheart, can you do me a favor?" She paused. "Can you count to fifty for me?" He had barely spoken since she picked him up at the hospital, so she wasn't confident he would speak now; however, she didn't know what else to do. Getting silence from the little boy, she sighed. "What's your favorite color?"

Surprisingly, he answered. "Lello."

She smiled. "What's your favorite animal?" she asked, putting the car in reverse.

"Moooo!"

"Despite popular belief, cows don't have more than one stomach, but they do have four different digestive compartments." She paused. "And no two cows have the same pattern of black and white spots. There is a farm not too far from here and whenever we pass by it, Christine makes us slow down so she can watch the cows and point out the differences in their pelt patterns." She smiled as she slowly inched down the driveway. When she stopped at the end of the street, she sensed a change in Eli. He was getting restless and she feared he'd start screaming again. "Hey, Eli, can you tell me about Patch?"

Eli held up the stuffed dog. "Patch is mine."

She swallowed. "Did you name him?"

He nodded. "'Cause of this." He pointed to the swatch of fabric over the dog's eye.

She turned onto the main road and relaxed a bit. She kept asking questions the entire way and he kept answering her. "Who gave you Patch?" The DNA tests were still pending and Booth's guys didn't have any luck yet with the phone number, so at this point, perhaps Eli was her best chance of finding out some of the answers to the questions she had been having.

Eli kicked his legs and tugged on the dog's remaining ear. "Mr. Max."

She shook her head as she pulled into the parking lot to Lynette's office. She didn't have time to think about his answer, but she was sure she misheard him. She had just unbuckled Eli from the car seat and set him on the ground when she heard the revving of an engine and the screech of tires on pavement. She turned her head and only had time to put Eli in the car before she was thrown against the driver's side door, the handle digging into her back. As she slid to the pavement, she heard mumbled voices. She tried to follow the conversation, but couldn't make out any distinct words due to the ringing in her ears. She forced her eyes open and looked up, watching as a heavily muscled man with dark curly hair and an overgrown beard reached into the back of the car. She tried to speak, but all that escaped her cracked lips was a gasp. Her vision blurred and her head felt heavy. Her eyes slowly closed and she slumped sideways. _Eli_ , she said, but no actual sounds came out. Before everything went silent, she heard Eli scream. "Mommy!"

* * *

"Ma'am?"

Brennan moaned.

"An ambulance is on the way."

"Eli?" Brennan mumbled. She opened her eyes to see the blurry image of a man kneeling beside her. She blinked, but her vision was still fuzzy. She shivered and tried to sit up, but the man held her down.

"Whoa."

"I—Eli, I have to—." Her voice trailed off. She coughed and suddenly became aware of the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. The man's face appeared in her line of vision, but she couldn't focus on him.

"It's going to be alright, ma'am. Just hang on a bit."

She tried to move again, but he was quicker, gripping her shoulder tighter.

"Listen, lady, just sit still."

In the distance, she heard the wailing of sirens, but the sound seemed to get farther away, not closer.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?"

She closed her eyes, but opened them quickly. The man's face appeared in front of her again and bobbed. She sputtered and gasped for air. She felt her head lull to one side and she could no longer feel the rest of her body. She just barely heard the man shouting at her, his voice mostly a buzzing noise. Exhausted, she finally allowed her eyes to fall shut again.

* * *

 ** _Short chapter and cliffhanger? Sorry :| Please forgive me..._**


	11. Chapter 11

Knock, Knock.

Booth looked up from his computer and stared at the young agent standing in the doorway. He pushed away slightly from his desk and motioned for the man—boy—to come in. "Whatcha got for me, Johnson?"

The sandy-haired, blue-eyed, fairly green agent stepped tentatively into the office of his superior and swallowed. "I—we found something."

Booth cleared his throat. "You wouldn't be here otherwise, kid."

Johnson nodded. "Um, right." He paused. "The woman's ex-boyfriend is pretty known to authorities. His résumé includes armed robbery, assault, and multiple drug offenses. He called her six times the day before she died and three times the night of the accident."

Booth scribbled the information down on a notecard. "Anything else?"

Johnson walked over to the desk and with shaking hands, he set a piece of paper in front of Booth.

Booth glanced down at the paper and scanned it before making eye contact with the agent once again. "Did you doctor this document in any way, Johnson?"

Johnson shook his head. "No-o, sir. Carney from Forensics handed it to me straight from the printer and I brought it up here to you."

"Did you read it, Johnson?"

Johnson nodded. "Ye-es, sir."

"Do you know what this says?"

"Um, yes. It shows that—."

 _"Agent Booth?"_ A soft female voice sounded through the speaker on Booth's desk phone.

Booth held up his finger, signaling Johnson to pause for a second, and pressed a button on his phone. "Yes, Sherry."

 _"I apologize for interrupting, but you have a phone call on line 1."_

"Sherry, tell them I'm in a meeting and will call them back."

 _"I would, sir, I tried to tell her you were busy, but she insisted on talking to you."_

"Who is on the phone?"

 _"I think she said Angela, but I—it was hard to understand her. She said she tried your cell, but didn't get through. Isn't she one of the scientists at the Jeffersonian? No wait, she's an artist, right? Should I tell her to call you back?"_

Booth stiffened. "No, no, I'll take it. Thank you, Sherry." He picked up the phone and swallowed. "Angela, what's wrong? Are Hank and Christine okay? What happened?"

 _"Booth! Thank God. Hank and Christine are fine."_

He exhaled, but then his eyes widened. If the children were fine, then why did Angela sound so distressed? "Angela, what's going on?"

 _"It's Bren,_ " she cried. _"She was—there was an accident. The—the hospital tried to reach you, but couldn't get a hold of you."_

Bones. He shot up, knocking the phone off the desk in the process. He dropped the receiver and patted his pockets. When he didn't feel his wallet, cell phone, or keys, he hastily searched his office for the misplaced items.

"Sir?"

Booth growled at the young agent.

Johnson swallowed. "I—I'll go see if Lucas and Brendon know anything else about the phone number." He left, his departure unnoticed by the senior agent.

"Where are my keys?!" Booth opened and closed drawers, shifting papers around. He knelt on the floor and felt around the carpet. After a few seconds of searching, he felt the metal against his warm palm. He leaned back, knocking his head. Grunting, he crawled out from under his desk and stood up. He felt his phone buzz in his back pocket and froze. "Oh." He shook his head and reached back, sliding the phone out. He jammed his finger against the screen to answer to the call.

 _"Booth, I don't know what happened. The police—someone found her in a parking lot. A car,"_ Angela let out a strangled cry, " _Someone hit her."_

He blinked. "What?"

 _"I—why? We're not—we're not even working! There are no open murder cases, so why?"_

"Angela."

 _"Didn't they see her there? How do you hit someone with your car? Plow into them? And just drive away. In the middle of the day?"_

His eyes widened. "Angela, where's Eli?"

 _"Oh God. No one said anything about him. Just her."_

He heard her sniffle. "He's probably with his Aunt. Bones must have met with Lynette and dropped Eli off. That's why no one said anything about him. He wasn't with her." He nodded, trying to convince himself that was true. "Yes, he wasn't with her. He was already in his Aunt's custody. She's taking him home to Buffalo." He swallowed. "What hospital?" He jotted down the address on another index card and hung up. He left his office, barreling through the bullpen towards the elevators. When he reached them, one was just opening on the floor. "Move!" He snarled at the agents taking their time exiting the cart. Frustrated, he abandoned the elevator and yanked open the door to the stairwell. Taking the steps two at a time, he sped down the four flights and burst through the exit into the parking garage. He easily found his SUV in a sea of other FBI issued vehicles and jumped in. Within two minutes, with sirens blaring, he was on his way to the hospital.

* * *

Booth found Angela in the E.R. waiting room. He ran over to her and sank down in the plastic chair to her right. "Where is she?"

Angela jumped, having not heard him approach. "She's in surgery." She swallowed. "Booth, it's _bad._ She's—."

He leaned forward, his elbows digging into his thighs. He suddenly jumped up again. "I have to call Ma—oh." He shook his head. "Never mind." He sat down and sighed. "Damn it."

She sighed. "Hodgins is watching the kids. I—there's—they shouldn't be here."

He nodded. "Yeah."

She rested her hand on his forearm and closed her eyes for a brief second.

They sat there silently for a while until Booth's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the contact name. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, but when he saw Lynette's name appear, he blinked. He quickly answered the call, ignoring the glares from the hospital staff. "Lynette, what—?"

 _"Oh, good, Mr. Booth. Temperance isn't answering her phone. Do you know if she's on her way?"_

He blinked. "You mean, she didn't—you haven't seen her?"

 _"No. We agreed to meet at my office at 10 o'clock, but she still hasn't arrived. Eli seemed reluctant to get in Temperance's car Friday night, so I was thinking she was delayed due to a similar situation."_

There was a pause and then he heard some hushed voices in the background. He thought he could hear sirens in the distance, as well. He swallowed. "Lynette?"

" _I'm sorry, Seeley. I need to go. If you hear from Temperance, please let her know we need to reschedule our meeting."_

"Lynette, is—are the police there?" He only got a beep as a response. He growled and shoved his phone into his pocket. He played through the brief conversation with Lynette and his eyes widened. "Angela!"

Angela jerked her head towards him. "What's wrong?" she asked, taking in his wild eyes.

"Bones didn't meet with Lynette. She never showed. Eli—if Eli wasn't with her when she was brought here, he's—." He took out his phone again and dialed a number. "Johnson, get Lucas and Brendon now." He paused. "Now, Johnson. I don't care if they are in the middle of something. I need to speak with you three right now." He leaned forward in the chair. He recounted what he knew, instructed the agents to issue an amber alert and to track down the ex-boyfriend, Mateo García. García wasn't Eli's father, but Booth's gut was telling him something was fishy about the guy. He hung up the phone, satisfied the three agents could handle the tasks. He turned his head and looked at Angela.

"Amber alert? Eli's—."

He nodded.

"Oh god." She leaned forward, holding her head in her hands.

"Even from the grave, Max is still—," he muttered.

Her head shot up. "What? What does Max have to do with this?" She paused. "Booth?"

"I need to talk to Bones." He stood up, but stopped, remembering why he was there. He couldn't talk to her right now. She was in surgery. He slumped back down. He leaned back and closed his eyes. _Come on, Bones_ , he thought, letting out a breath.

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 ** _Not entirely happy with this chapter, but wanted to give you guys something to nibble on before the next update. ;)_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Has it really been 2 months since I've updated this story? So sorry for the long wait. I didn't forget about this story, I promise. Life's just been crazy lately. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter...**_

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Booth sat in a chair beside Brennan's hospital bed in the ICU.

"How is she?"

He jerked, his head turning towards the door. He exhaled, shifting his focus from Angela to Brennan. "The doctor said she should wake up soon." He brushed his thumb across her hand beneath the sheet and swallowed.

Angela approached the foot of the bed and stared at her best friend. Shaking her head, she sighed. "Why would someone do this?" Getting no response, she looked at Booth. "Booth?"

He blinked, looking over at her. "Huh? Oh." His attention drifted back to Brennan and he touched her cheek gently.

"You know something. Booth?" Angela rounded the bed and stood right next to him. "It has to do with Max, doesn't it?"

"It all seems that way." Still holding Brennan's hand, he turned to face Angela. "He's connected somehow. My team's working on some leads now." He shook his head. "I should have gone with her this morning."

Angela rested her hand on his forearm. "Booth, this isn't your fault."

He sighed and looked at Brennan. "The doctors say she was lucky."

Angela squeezed his arm. "She's the strongest person I know and will probably ever know."

"When does it end? When do we get a break?" He muttered, mostly to himself.

"Mmm."

He blinked and leaned towards Brennan, cupping her hand in his. "Bones? Bones?" He squeezed her hand lightly. He stood up halfway and dipping his head, he pressed his lips against her forehead. He sat back down and brushed at his wet cheek. "Bones." Seeing her blue eyes staring back at him, he exhaled.

"Sweetie," Angela stood up and walked around to the other side of the bed. She leaned over and gave Brennan a light hug.

Brennan moaned, causing Angela to back off. She looked around the room and blinked. She turned her head, wincing slightly, and stared at Booth. "Ow." She swallowed, coughing. She clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes, as tears leaked out through her lashes.

"Relax, Bones. Take it easy." He rubbed her arm. "Try not to move."

Brennan drifted back to sleep shortly afterwards.

Booth looked towards Angela and relaxed when he saw the tears streaming down her face. He hadn't imagined it. Brennan had woken up. "I need—I need to make some calls. Eli's still missing and the—."

"The bastards that did this to Bren are still out there," Angela finished.

He nodded. "And I need to see Hank and Christine."

"I'll sit here with her."

"Thanks, Ange." He stood and kissed Brennan's forehead, his lips lingering just a bit. "I love you, Bones," he whispered. "I'll find him. I'll bring him home." He straightened and left the room. He didn't want to leave, but he knew Brennan would want him to do his job; she'd want him to do what he did best, solve the case. If she was awake, she'd have kicked him out herself.

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Booth returned to his SUV and froze—stuck under the windshield wipers was a plain white piece of paper, folded in half. He looked around, but knew whoever put the note there was long gone. He carefully removed the note from its pinned position with a latex glove he snatched from Brennan's spare kit he found in the trunk and slipped it into an evidence bag. He'd read it once he got to the office. He'd go there first before swinging by to see Hank and Christine. He wasn't sure yet how he'd tell them about Brennan, but he knew he couldn't lie to them, especially Christine. The little girl would sense something was wrong the second he stepped into the house. With that thought, he jumped into the driver's seat and sped off toward the Hoover.

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Booth took the stairs three at a time and was out of breath by the time he reached the fourth floor. He bypassed the Bullpen and closed himself off in his office. He sat at his desk and set the evidence bag down. He took a breath and exhaled as he carefully removed the piece of paper, laying it out on top of the bag. He closed his eyes for a brief second before using a rubber glove to unfold the note. He blinked. _It's a shame she didn't die, but I loved hearing her squeal. It was nostalgic, you know? Oh, and Booth? If you want to see the kid again…check your messages._ He pushed away from the desk and pulled out his cell phone. He stared at the black screen, waiting for it to power on. He had one missed call and voice message from an unknown number. Part way through listening to the distorted voice of the kidnapper demand $2,000,000, his office door opened.

"Agent—. Oh, sorry, sir." Johnson started to back out, but Booth waved him in.

Setting the phone down, Booth looked at the green agent and nodded. "What do you have, Johnson."

"We tracked down the ex-boyfriend. He's in one of the interrogation rooms, but he's not talking."

Booth sighed. "Anything else?"

"Lucas and Brendon got a hit on the phone number. They traced it back to AT&T. It'll take weeks to get the phone records and go through them all. Even then, sir, it's unlikely we'll get anywhere. It's obvious the guy's using a disposable phone and he's probably tossed it by now." Johnson paused. "But maybe we'll get lucky."

Booth nodded.

"How's Dr. Brennan, sir?" Johnson asked, switching gears.

"She's awake."

"Are her injuries serious? My wife's brother was hit by a car when he was twelve and he—."

Booth cleared his throat. "Johnson."

"Right, um, is there anything else you want me to do?"

Booth grabbed the note from his desk, placing it back into the evidence bag. "Bring this to Carey. Have him dust it for prints, test the ink—I want him to find out whatever he can. Tell him to put this ahead of anything else he's working on. Got it? That goes for all of you."

Johnson nodded. "Yes, sir."

Booth dismissed the agent and followed him out. He needed to see his kids and talk to Hodgins about collecting the Ransom money.

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 ** _Again, sorry for the long wait...Until next time, thanks for reading/reviewing/favoriting/following :) You guys rock!_**


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